[Noncompliance with drug therapy for glaucoma].

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of glaucoma is made initially with the use of eyedrops, with the purpose to decrease intraocular pressure and to minimize the damages to the optic nerve. The lack of compliance with drug therapy can be influenced by factors related to patients, doctors and medicines. PURPOSES: To estimate the rate of noncompliance with the treatment with antiglaucoma eyedrops and to verify the intervenience of possible factors for noncompliance.
METHODS: A study of the transversal type was carried out, in the Ophthalmologic Clinic of the Hospital Governador Israel Pinheiro, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Questionnaires were applied to 102 glaucoma patients to collect information about the level of noncompliance and the intervenience of possible factors for noncompliance with drug therapy.
RESULTS: The rate of noncompliance was 21.5%. The factors: not using the eyedrops due to money shortage (p=0.035) and accomplishment of corrective surgery (p=0.049), significantly contributed to noncompliance.
CONCLUSION: More than one fifth of the glaucoma patients does not follow the drug treatment in an adequate way. Donation of eyedrops to all the glaucoma patients without favorable economic conditions, governmental actions for the reduction of the prices of the eyedrops, information on the continuity of the use of the eyedrops after the accomplishment of corrective surgeries would help to decrease the rates of noncompliance.